Baklava is a sweet treat that looks SUPER hard to make. But it’s ridiculously simple, just time consuming And while you can make you own phyllo dough, THAT is hard so it’s best to just buy it premade from the shops. There’s also all sorts of ways you can change up this recipe. Different nuts, Different spices, I’ve used Maple Syrup instead of honey! Some people add a chocolate drizzle to the layers or on top.
This recipe doubles easily for larger pans! Just spread and overlap the layers to fill the pan
You will need!
Ingredients
- 1 (16 ounce) package phyllo dough
- 1 pound finely chopped nuts. Traditional Baklava uses pistachio, commonly you find it with walnuts or Pecans in stores. But I like it with Almonds best. Hazel nuts might be nice too! Use what nut you like best or a mix if you want! Just chop them up fine! Peanuts may not work that great though, or cashews.
- 1 cup butter – melted
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon – I’ve also used an Apple pie spice mix or you could do Pumpkin pie spice mix or other spice mixes like that. I found a Chai spice mix once that was amazing.
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup white sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup honey
Equipment needed
- Measuring cups
- Measuring spoons
- Bowls
- 9×3 inch cake pan or casserole dish.
- Pastry brush
- VERY sharp knife
- Saucepan or your cleaned cauldron
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
- Melt all the butter, Butter the bottoms and sides of a 9×13 inch pan.
- Chop nuts and toss with cinnamon. Set aside.
- Unroll phyllo dough. Cut the stack in half to fit in the pan. If you are using a larger pan for a larger batch don’t cut the sheets.
- Cover phyllo with a dampened cloth to keep from drying out as you work. Place a sheet of dough in the pan, butter thoroughly. Repeat until you have 8 sheets layered. Sprinkle 2 – 3 tablespoons of nut mixture on top. Drizzle some butter on top of it.
- Place 4 more layers of dough on top of the nuts, buttering each layer. Repeat this till pattern several times dough, butter, nuts, layering as you go. The top layer should be about 6 – 8 sheets deep. You may run out of butter before you reach the top, just melt more.
- BEFORE YOU BAKE IT ,Using a sharp knife cut into diamond or square shapes all the way to the bottom of the pan. You may cut into 4 long rows the make diagonal cuts. This will not be easy as the dough will want to peel off the top. Just use a finger or a spoon to hold it down.
- Bake for about 50 minutes until baklava is golden and crisp.
- While it’s in the oven make the sauce. Boil sugar and water until sugar is melted. Add vanilla and honey. Simmer for about 20 minutes. You can add a bit more honey if you want.
- Remove baklava from the oven and immediately spoon sauce over it. It WILL sizzle and put up steam. Let this cool. I recommend overnight so the dough and nuts can soak up the sauce properly.
- I recommend running your knife through the cuts you made before baking it to loosen it back up after baking it, but before serving. You can either serve it from the pan or put it into cupcake holders.
